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| GHS Bowling Coach Emotional Over Northgate Lanes Fire |
A Galesburg woman who says she's spent a whole lot of time at a local bowling alley over the years is sad at its at least temporary loss.
Joni McGarry is Galesburg High School's Varsity Bowling team coach. She says she spent roughly five hours at Northgate Lanes Wednesday once fire broke out around 6:30 am. Frustration showed on her face as she watched firefighters put out the blaze that started in the alley's southeast corner, and caused the roof to partially collapse -- so much so that a rooftop air conditioning unit partially collapsed in.
McGarry tells WGIL she was relieved that firefighters did a lot to save what, to her, is the most important part of the bowling alley.
"They've tried to keep the water off the lanes for the most part," McGarry said. "I think they've done it. If they save the lanes, it's a good start. It'll be an easier fix for ownership and management, I hope. We know that the office is gone...a whole lot of things are going to factor into it."
McGarry says, though, as with many things, you just have to roll with the punches and make due the best you can. The Silver Streaks were to have hosted their annual invitational bowling tournament at Northgate Saturday. That's since been moved to Sunset Lanes in Pekin, and McGarry says she's especially grateful that Abbe Lanes in Abingdon has offered to host the team's practices.
Nevertheless, she says while many may feel some devastation over the fire, she believes Northgate will be back and operational, "before you know it."
An official cause of the fire still hasn't been determined.
(Story by Will Stevenson. WGIL News File Photo by Chris LaGrow.) |
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| 01 14 10 by Newsroom |
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